Ward End Community College

School progress monitoring inspection report

p.1

Ward End Community College 19 September 2016 962–968 Alum Rock Road, Ward End, Birmingham B8 2LS

p.1

Main inspection findings

Part 1. Quality of education provided  At the previous inspection in March 2015, all part 1 standards were met. The Department for Education (DfE) requested that this inspection checked that all part 1 standards remain met.  The quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement were judged as requires improvement in March 2015. To further improve teaching and learning the school must ensure that: – leaders provide up-to-date policies for all subjects – staff have access to effective guidance and training to meet pupils’ needs – staff help pupils to accelerate their progress and reach higher levels in the subjects taught, providing a greater range of challenging activities, especially in science – the most able pupils have access to a wide range of challenging modern reading materials – leaders keep records of past pupils’ achievement so that they can demonstrate the progress they have made.  The school ensures that all of the required areas of learning are taught. Satisfactory

p.1

Main inspection findings

and up-to-date schemes of work exist for all subjects. The programmes of study indicate the range of topics to be taught each term and most identify how learning will be assessed. Some individuals are taking external examinations in functional skills in English and mathematics, at various levels. Where this is the case, teachers are following the examination syllabuses closely.  Teachers have attended appropriate child protection, ‘Prevent’ duty and first aid training. They have also undertaken suitable training in teaching and learning of pupils at the early stages of learning English, although this was some time ago.  Observations of learning, and scrutiny of work in books, indicate that teachers are taking into account pupils’ capabilities and specific needs when planning activities. They are providing a suitable level of challenge in science activities. Work is appropriately matched to pupils’ science ability. In mathematics, the more capable

p.1

Main inspection findings

mathematicians could do more demanding work. All pupils have access to reading material that is suitable for their reading ability, including those that are more capable readers.  Those pupils that have the ability and linguistic skills to take qualifications in English and mathematics are attaining the levels of which they are capable in these subjects.  Teachers rightly give high priority to developing pupils’ listening, speaking, reading and writing skills in English. Appropriate teaching methods are used to teach basic skills. Good use is made of pupils who act as interpreters to ensure that others know what must be achieved. As at the time of the last inspection, teachers are effective in meeting the linguistic needs of beginners in English and mathematics.  The school has improved the way it evaluates pupils’ attainment and progress. An appropriate framework is in place to evaluate pupils’ performance. For example,

p.1

Main inspection findings

termly progress reports identify pupils’ progress and their current attainment in the subjects taught. Reports are sent to parents and the local authority school placement officer so that they know how well individuals are performing.  The curriculum promotes mutual respect and tolerance and a suitable understanding of British values. The education provided reflects the school’s aims and ethos.  Pupils enjoy school and their behaviour is good. They have positive attitudes to learning.  All standards are met.

p.2

Main inspection findings

Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraph 15  In March 2015, this standard was not met because the admission register was not maintained in accordance with the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006.  The school’s action plan stated that the admission register would be updated and it would contain all of the required information by April 2016.  The proprietor and senior leaders’ action to meet the previously unmet standard has been effective. The admission register now contains all of the information that it should. It is kept on a computer and a printout is made at least once a year in line with government requirements.  The school’s safeguarding policy is published on the school’s website, along with a preventing radicalisation and extremism procedure.  Safeguarding guidance is not implemented effectively. Staff vetting procedures are insufficiently robust.  The proprietor has not ensured that further checks are carried out on all adults

p.2

Main inspection findings

working unsupervised in school who have lived outside the United Kingdom (UK), to confirm their suitability to work with children. The single central register does not contain accurate information about the checks undertaken on all those that have lived overseas.  The school does not have a policy on children missing from education. Therefore, procedures are lacking for informing the local authority of any pupil who has been absent without the school’s permission for a continuous period of 10 school days or more.  The school has not assessed the general level of risk of pupils being subject to radicalisation or drawn into extremist activity.  The proprietor has carried out the necessary checks on adults working in school to confirm their identity, qualifications, medical fitness and right to work in the UK. A UK enhanced criminal record check has been undertaken on all adults working unsupervised with children. The single central register contains all of the required

p.2

Main inspection findings

information regarding these specific checks. No staff are recruited from employment agencies.  All staff, including the designated persons for child protection, have been suitably trained to fulfil their responsibilities with regard to child protection and the ‘Prevent’ duty.  Pupils’ use of the internet is suitably monitored to keep them safe from harm.  The school’s behaviour policy is implemented effectively. Consequently, pupils are well behaved at all times.  The high pupil to teacher ratio means that pupils are well supervised at all times.  Paragraph 15 is met. However, standards 7, 7(a), 7(b), 18(2), 18(2)(e), 18(3), 21(1), 21(3), 21(3)(a)(viii), 34(1)(a) and 34(1)(c) met at the time of the previous inspection are now unmet.

p.2

Main inspection findings

Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Paragraph 34(1) and 31(1)(b)  In March 2016, these two standards were not met. The proprietor and senior leaders were not ensuring that all independent school standards were met consistently.  The proprietor and senior leaders took appropriate action to ensure the admission register met requirements. However, they are not demonstrating good skills and knowledge appropriate to their role so that all independent school standards are currently met. The proprietor, acting principal and headteacher are not ensuring that all pupils are properly safeguarded and that their well-being is being promoted effectively.  These standards remain unmet along with standards 34(1)(a) and 34(1)(c).

p.3

Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school does not meet the requirements of the schedule to The Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 (‘the independent school standards’) and associated requirements that were checked during this inspection. This included the standards and requirements that the school was judged to not comply with at the previous inspection. Not all of the standards and associated requirements were checked during this inspection.

p.4

The school does not meet the following independent school standards

Standards that were met at the previous inspection, but are now judged not to be met at this inspection:  7, 7(a) and 7(b)  18(2), 18(2)(e) and 18(3)  21(1), 21(3) and 21(3)(a)(viii)  34(1)(a) and 34(1)(c).

p.4

School details

Unique reference number 135238 DfE registration number 330/6116 Inspection number 10021966 This inspection was carried out under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008, the purpose of which is to advise the Secretary of State for Education about the school’s suitability for continued registration as an independent school. Type of school Girls’ secondary school School status Independent school Age range of pupils 14 to 19 Gender of pupils Girls Gender of pupils in the sixth form Girls Number of pupils on the school roll 6 Of which, number on roll in sixth form 0 Proprietor Hazrat Sultan Bahu Trust Acting principal Shahab Faiq Headteacher Baljinder Johal Annual fees (day pupils) £6,600 Telephone number 0121 789 7060 Email address weccollege@outlook.com Date of previous standard inspection 4–5 March 2016

p.5

Information about this school

 Ward End Community College is a girls’ secondary school in Birmingham. It opened in April 2007. It is registered to admit up to 40 girls aged 14 to 19 years.  The principal retired in July 2015. An acting principal and headteacher are currently leading and managing the school.  The previous standard inspection of the school was in March 2015.  No pupils are in the sixth form. The school has not admitted pupils above statutory school age for some time.  All pupils speak English as an additional language and are at the early stages of acquiring English. All have arrived in England in the past 12 months. No pupil has a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan.  All of the pupils are placed in the school by Birmingham local authority.  The school does not use alternative provision. No off-site unit is run by the school.

p.5

Information about this inspection

 This inspection was carried out at the request of the registration authority for independent schools. The purpose of the inspection was to monitor the progress the school has made in meeting the independent school standards and other requirements that it was judged not to comply with at its previous inspection.  This is the school’s first progress monitoring inspection. It was conducted without notice.  The DfE accepted the school’s revised action plan on 27 July 2016. However, the admission register required improvement.  The DfE requested that the inspection checked part 1 (quality of education), part 3 (welfare, health and safety) and part 8 (leadership and management) standards. All part 1 standards were met at the previous inspection. The DfE requested that this inspection rechecked that part 1 standards are still met.  Meetings took place with the acting principal and the headteacher. The inspector

p.6

Information about this inspection

talked to pupils about their work and scrutinised work in folders. The inspector observed teaching and learning in science and mathematics.  A range of welfare and health and safety documentation, including policies and records relating to safeguarding, was scrutinised to check compliance with the independent school standards. The robustness of the school’s recruitment and staff vetting procedures was also evaluated.  The inspector checked that the school’s safeguarding policy was available on the school’s website and that guidance was implemented effectively.  There were too few responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, for these to be considered. No Ofsted point-in-time survey, to seek the views of pupils, had been conducted by the school. Pupils’ views were sought through informal discussion and scrutiny of pupils’ views expressed in their individual learning plans.

p.6

Inspection team

David Rzeznik, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector guidance 'Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.6

Inspection team

Parent View You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection. You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted .

p.7

Inspection team

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-

p.7

Inspection team

government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

Inspection team

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

Inspection team

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.7